1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid discharge apparatus for discharging liquids from nozzles.
2. Description of the Related Art
An image recording apparatus described in United States Patent Application Publication No. 2007/0146445 A1 (corresponding to Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2007-176068), which is exemplified as a liquid discharge apparatus for discharging liquids from nozzles, includes an ink-jet head which is movable reciprocatively in the scanning direction and which discharges inks from the nozzles, and ink cartridges which are provided for a main body, and the ink jet head and the ink cartridges are connected to one another by a plurality of flexible tubes, and the plurality of tubes are arranged in a state of being bent so that the plurality of tubes can follow the movement of the ink-jet head. The plurality of tubes have first ends which are connected to the ink jet head respectively in a state of being disposed in the direction perpendicular to the vertical direction and the scanning direction. Further, the plurality of tubes are fixed in a state of being disposed in the vertical direction at predetermined fixed portions which are intermediate portions thereof and which have positions in relation to the perpendicular direction different from those of the first ends connected to the ink-jet head. Accordingly, it is possible to decrease the height of the ink-jet head as compared with a case in which the plurality of tubes are connected to the ink-jet head in a state of being disposed in the vertical direction.
As described in United States Patent Application Publication No. 2007/0146445 A1, the reaction forces, which intend to restore the plurality of tubes from the bent state to the original state, are generated in the plurality of tubes arranged in the bent state. When the plurality of tubes are fixed while being disposed in the vertical direction at the fixed portions and the plurality of tubes are connected to the ink-jet head while being disposed in the direction perpendicular to the vertical direction and the scanning direction, then the reaction forces also act in the vertical direction, because the heights of the plurality of tubes differ between the first ends and the fixed portions respectively. On the other hand, in order to realize the recording of an image on a larger recording paper sheet by using the image recording apparatus described in United States Patent Application Publication No. 2007/0146445 A1, it is necessary that large amounts of the inks should be supplied to the ink-jet head. For this purpose, it is necessary to increase the diameters of the tubes.
Further, if the thickness of the tube is increased in order to avoid the water of the ink contained in the tube to escape to outside and in order to avoid the air to enter the tube from outside, the reaction force, which is generated in the tube, is increased corresponding thereto. It is feared that the tube may float upwardly.
The distances between the fixed portions and the first ends connected to the ink-jet head are different from each other between the plurality of tubes respectively in the vertical direction and the direction perpendicular to the vertical direction. Therefore, the reaction forces, which are generated in the respective tubes, have the directions which are different from each other. The components in the vertical direction of the reaction forces allowed to act on the respective tubes have different magnitudes as well. Therefore, the amounts of the upward floating of the respective tubes are different from each other. It is feared that the tubes may be entangles with each other.
If the plurality of tubes are integrally formed or molded, for example, it is possible to avoid the upward floating of the tubes and the entanglement between the tubes as described above. However, if the plurality of tubes, which are integrally formed or molded as described above, are used, it is difficult to arrange the plurality of tubes such that the tubes are disposed in the vertical direction on the main body side and the tubes are connected to the ink-jet head in the state of being disposed in the direction perpendicular to the scanning direction and the vertical direction, as described in United States Patent Application Publication No. 2007/0146445 A1.